Brothers In Arms
by earthday
Summary: Will and Jake Grimm tread the line between brotherly love and something else. Will their fairy tale have a happy ending? Grimmcest, WillxJake, rating may change in later chapters
1. Wonderings and Denial

Brothers In Arms

**Well, I adore writing WillxJake stuff so I had another go! ^^ I hope you like it! :)**

**(I don't own these characters)**

Chapter 1

Will Grimm loved women and he made no secret of that. He adored the sultry smell of them, the delicious taste of them, the soft and ample feel of them, the sound of their honey tinged voices and most of all, the way they looked. The long flowing hair, the big flirty eyes, the pouting lips...He could go on but recently, he had found himself unable to. The girls in each little 'troubled' village seemed to be getting less and less pretty at every stop and even though the guys around him were constantly saying how gorgeous they were, he couldn't see it himself. At points, he thought that he had completely lost the plot yet then something else came into his mind and that worry seemed unimportant, nothing compared to the other fret in his brain.

Because, more and more every day, somebody else was in his thoughts. That would have seemed okay but frighteningly for him, this 'somebody' was not another beautiful woman. He was a man and not just any man at that. His brother. His own flesh and blood, his sweet little brother. And to start with, he was absolutely terrified of his feelings. He imagined for a while that he was over exaggerating things, as he sometimes did, but the sight of Jake curled up in bed in the morning or late at night made his heart dance, even when he had a woman lying by his side. They would usually get annoyed at him these days because whenever they tried to go beyond kissing and touching in the room at the Inn, Will would stop them, knowing that Jake would be in soon. Most of the time he acted like he didn't care around his brother, ignoring him and jeering him for his consistent writing skills, but secretly, he was extremely proud to be his sibling and wouldn't change anything about him for the world.

When little Lotte had died in that cruel winter all those years ago, he had relentlessly blamed Jake for it, taking out all his rage and pain on him. After all, he had been the one who had brought back stupid magic beans instead of medicine and if he hadn't have had his head so far up in the clouds like he usually did, then their poor sister might have had a chance of surviving. That what's he had thought anyway and even now, hints of those ideas still remained when he was particularly frustrated or annoyed with Jake. He had a tendency to immerse himself completely in the dreams of enchantment and wishes and sometimes become so lost in fantasy that his eyes glazed over almost entirely. Will would have to constantly shake him for a while to bring him out of his daze and even then he seemed far away. This irritated him immensely but, still, for what reason he didn't know. Maybe it was because Jake could seemingly abandon all of his troubles so easily with just a few simple dashes of his pen. Will thought that he was possibly slightly jealous of that and once or twice, would have longed to join Jake on an adventure through imagination, wondering if that really was the cure for his hurt.

A while after Lotte's death, the violence he had driven onto Jake finally started to numb a little. His feelings and emotions collapsed around him and with despair, he realised he was lying awake more and more at nights, hot defiant tears on his cold cheeks. He wanted to blame somebody, get out his thoughts, but doing that had got him nowhere. Jake had become bruised and cut and although he never told their Mother, it still stung like she had scolded him, like she usually did when he did something wrong – which seemed to be more and more frequent nowadays. Jake could be so quiet at times and throughout his whole life, he kept that quality about him, though that wasn't to say he couldn't be loud when he wanted to be.

The years went by for the brothers and all too soon they were out of their hometown and thrown to the big, intimidating world around them. Neither could remember how it happened now but shortly after saying goodbye to their old house, they began to lie and cheat people, just like they had done when they were younger. Will, ever the schemer, had planned on charging civilians money for what they were doing and then, it came about that they turned into con artists, bleeding riches from towns and villages who were in need of ridding a 'benevolent spirit'.

Will never felt bad about this. It meant that the two brothers had a place to stay and food to eat but he knew that Jake hadn't ever been as comfortable as he was. Often, he would shift nervously as they spoke to the wide eyed, scared villagers and would gladly allow Will to do all the talking when arranging a deal with money. He was terrible at this subject and would instead, sit cross legged on the bed as his brother laughed at the things they had been given, scribbling away in a dusty old journal that he took with him everywhere they went. Nobody had ever seen inside this journal apart from him, not even Will, but sometimes, Will would get very interested in what he was writing. Often he'd tell him that he was jotting down tales of fair maidens and tall castles yet now and then, he would become quiet as he wrote, refusing to acknowledge any of his surroundings. Will wondered what on Earth he could get so caught up in.

However, he knew when a new fairy story was brewing in Jake's mind as they'd sit in an Inn somewhere in an old town and he'd sip almost constantly at his ale, ignoring any women glancing their way. Will always used to flirt back then, taking advantage of any situation that could get him places he enjoyed immensely, and was even a little amused sometimes at his brother's lack of interest at the half dressed girls bouncing around him. At those moments, he had eyes for his writing and his writing only.

However, at other points, this frightened Will. He imagined that one day Jake would get too caught up in his fantasies and wouldn't be able to distinguish it from reality anymore. His mind would always be on faraway lands of magic and beauty and although Will wanted him to be happy and dream of living there, he didn't want him to honestly believe with all his heart it was true. Because, after experiences of almost starving and even sleeping in the streets once or twice when there was nowhere else to go, he knew very well about dreams being shattered and hearts being broken because of them. He didn't want Jake to feel like that, especially a sensitive one like him.

Yet, then, one year passed and Will's mind almost changed completely about the world Jake lived in. His thoughts and wonders about magic and wishes seemed to somehow seep into reality and suddenly, all around them, everything was coming true, from forests alive with walking trees to little girls being captured and used to keep an age old Mirror Queen looking beautiful and youthful in her tall, foreboding tower with no door. His fairy tales appeared to be coming to life and Will didn't like it at all. He wasn't sure how Jake felt about it but by the look in his eyes at some moments, he knew he must, just must, be uncomfortable with what they had got themselves in to.

Still, the tower finally crumbled to the ground so there was nothing left of it anymore, the Mirror Queen shattered and the spell over the enchanted girls and beautiful, strong Angelika was broken. Jake had given her the kiss of true love and then almost given Will it too, his lips mere inches from the most wonderful experience they may ever share together. But Will had panicked and hurriedly told him not to, scared about sharing his first intimate kiss with a man – not least, his brother – in front of so many people, scared he might do something rash and unforgivable. He hadn't want to hurt Jake but as Angelika leant down to do the job, he wished he hadn't made him back off. Though that was something he wouldn't admit to anybody, sometimes not even himself as it was a frightening thought.

But, as the year following the events with the Mirror Queen went on, Will found that his feelings were getting stronger and stronger. He wasn't meant to enjoy the soft touch of his brother's fingers on him as they brushed past him accidentally, he wasn't meant to like the warmth of Jake's body pressed against him in the night, he wasn't meant to adore Jake slumping against him in the Alehouse but he did. And what scared him further was that he always found himself responding to his brother, wrapping his arms around him in the small beds they always ended up sharing no matter how many rooms they were offered, leaning into his hands when they found his skin and teasing him to no end as they sat in the Inn.

That's what he loved to do the most.

Jake was a virgin, he knew that far. He spent some time with Angelika but Will knew they were nothing more than friends at the best of times, even though he had given her the kiss of 'true love' (Will writhed at the thought). They hadn't kissed after that and they certainly hadn't made love so he guessed his brother still had his virginity. He certainly hadn't got involved with many other women before Angelika either.

So, finding amusement in Jake's innocence, he always loved to tease him, despite the growing feelings in his heart and soul, and adored to do it with a potential audience. They would sit in the bar and when Jake's head sank onto his shoulder, he would cradle it gently, sometimes running a hand onto his thigh. Jake would normally not be bothered by this, especially when he was tired, and now and then would put his hand on top of Will's, lacing their fingers together. Neither was particularly bothered about the strange looks they got and often Jake would appreciate what Will did in public, as long as he didn't go too far. Not only did it make him feel cared for after many years of Will yelling abuse at him and taunting him with memories of magic beans, but it also warned off many women who came their way. And, as strange as it sounded to him, sometimes they could get a bit annoying with their high pitched titters and showing off. They always went for Will anyway and Jake had to admit it was nice not to be pushed out the way for once.

Yet, one night, as they sat together in the corner of the Inn, something happened and the usual routine in the bar changed completely. They had been going along with what they normally did, Jake scribbling in his journal and Will watching him with interest, habit making him glance at some women around, and drinks had been handed out. A type of laziness hung in the air and when Jake finally put his pen down, he slumped against his older brother, nuzzling into his neck and breathing softly onto it. Will restrained a shiver and wrapped an arm around him, drawing him a little closer.

'' Mmmm...'' he hummed softly, closing the book in front of him. '' Mmph, Will, I'm so tired...''

'' Why don't you go on up to bed then?'' Will asked, though he knew what the answer would be. A few times he'd had to carry Jake up to bed because he just couldn't be bothered to move. He didn't mind however.

'' Too tired to get up...'' came the reply and Will smiled. The bar maid gave them a wary look as he stroked his hair but he didn't care that much anymore. They'd got too many strange glances to pay any attention over the last year or so. Jake just moaned tiredly and drew his legs up onto the seat, snuggling closer into his brother's warm shoulder. Will let him get comfortable and then reached round to place a hand on his thigh. Due to habit, Jake allowed him to keep it there but when it got higher – too high – he suddenly jerked away, his eyes now wide awake and alert.

'' Jake –'' Will began, never having known him to react like this before. '' Jake, I...''

But Jake was stumbling away from him, almost tripping over tables and people as he tried to get out of the Inn as quick as possible. '' Jake!'' Will called and immediately stood up, instinctively running after his brother. Yet when he found him and attempted grabbing his arms to slow him down, he got pushed off and yelled at, so unlike his little sibling at times like these it frightened him. Shocked, he let him go and watched with troubled eyes when he stormed into the village, soon swallowed by the night.

Will tried to drown his sorrows in drink for the rest of the night, but the Ale tasted foul to him. He couldn't get his thoughts off Jacob and the way he'd screamed at him earlier on, the closest thing to pain and hatred in his dark eyes. He knew he had gone maybe a little too far but Jake was usually so easy with this company, this type of thing. To suddenly storm out like that was a little abnormal for him. After all, he had been the one cuddling up to him in the first place.

But...where was he now? He had run off into the darkness of the town and could have been anywhere. Will had panicked when he had seen him disappear yet was aware that if he went looking for him, it would probably end all in vain – Jake could go to some strange places when he was upset. And if he did have the slim luck of finding him, he had no idea what to do. Jake had seemed furious as he had exited the Inn. He wasn't just going to let him take him back. He was stronger than that, if a little clumsy at times.

Yet, as Will stared mournfully into the happy crowds before him, he knew full well he had made a mistake by staying here, no matter how many excuses and reasons he tried to make. He had let his brother down again and if the worst came to the worst, it would be his fault once more. Of course, he could go out right now but on what? They had arrived in this village by stagecoach and all the horses were settled down for the night or taken back to their rightful owners. Jake would be far, far away and no one would know where he was.

What had he done, what had he done, what had he done? Will asked himself this question over and over again in the corner of the bar, hitting his head lightly against the wall as tears started to well in his eyes. He'd ride out first light, he vowed yet it didn't matter how many quiet promises he uttered, nothing appeared to be getting better. He wanted to go out now but he couldn't. He knew that. Jake was going to have to survive on his own for the night. Just one night. Just one, warm night. He'd been alright, Will tried to tell himself. It wasn't as if they hadn't got into these types of situations before.

Tormentedly, Will sighed and violently stood up from the table, almost knocking the remains of his disgusting drink over the floor. The dancers and other guests stared at him as he swept past, whispering things, but he didn't care, intent on getting up to his room and sleeping, even though he knew, in reality, he wouldn't rest a minute that night. Jake would be haunting him once again. _Why can't I just protect him for once?_ he asked himself, thumping down the corridor and teetering on the brink of tears. _I should go out now, I know I should, I know I should. But I can't, I can't. I'm just going to have to be selfish and uncaring just for one more night. Please be alright, Jake, please be alright..._

He sobbed aloud as he fumbled with the door but as he managed to get it open through a blurry haze of tears in his blue eyes, his heart almost stopped at the sight inside. For, lying on the main bed, the covers pulled warmly and protectively around him, was the very person he knew he wanted to see more than anything in the world at that moment.

'' Jake...'' he tried to exclaim but his voice was breaking and he could barely manage a whisper. His throat ached and although he fiercely rubbed his eyes to stop a tear of relief or pain trickle down his cheek, he couldn't help gathering him up in his arms when he sank down onto the bed, afraid to let him go. '' _Jake, Jake, you idiot...you idiot..._'' he muttered over and over again, hating the heavy feeling he was getting in his heart. '' _God, you scare me sometimes...''_

Jake shuffled in his sleep but despite Will's tortured whispers to him and tight embrace, he didn't awake, instead deciding to roll onto his back slightly, instinctively getting closer into the hug. Will smiled and got comfortable next to him, drawing the covers back over them and moulding their bodies together so his stomach was pressed affectionately against Jake's back. Their fingers entwined together and as he tried desperately to stop trembling, Will leant over and kissed Jake's damp forehead, smoothing his hair.

'' Goodnight Jake...'' he muttered softly.

TBC

**Hope you liked. Review if you want - I'd love to know what you think so far! ^^**


	2. Morning

Brothers In Arms

Chapter 2 - Morning

They woke up together the next morning, being bathed in a soft amber glow pouring through the frosted window. Will was still curled up against Jake and as a gentle draft pawed across the room, he stirred in his sleep, reluctantly waking up. A sharp ray of sunlight immediately penetrated his eyes and he groaned lightly, a slight headache throbbing in his temples from the night before. For a few blissful moments, he couldn't remember what had happened but then everything started coming back to him and he sighed, grateful that Jake was still sleeping peacefully next to him. He didn't particularly want to get into an argument, especially not at this time of morning (whatever that time was). But, still, as he looked curiously at him, Jake gradually stirred and a bleary eye opened. Will resisted the temptation to kiss his forehead and greet him with a bright good morning, instead laying his head back down on the pillow and gently removing his arms from his brother's waist.

''....Will?'' Jake asked tiredly, obviously having already noticed though he still sounded incredibly sleepy. '' Will, that you...?''

'' Mmm...'' he replied, not sure what to do. He hoped Jake couldn't remember the night before. But he didn't say anymore, turning around and pulling Will's arms back around him. A hand drifted over his cheek. Will relaxed a little, seeing his brother's dreamy smile.

'' I'm sorry...'' Jake muttered after a while, cuddling in to him. ''...sorry about last night. I overreacted...I'm so stupid.''

'' Aww, no you're not. It's alright...'' Will murmured, unable to stop himself nuzzling Jake's neck. '' I was the stupid one. I'm sorry for going too far...''

Jake smiled softly and leant into Will, feeling his heart beating gently. His fingers brushed over the thin material of his shirt. '' It's okay,'' he whispered and Will closed his eyes again, hating and adoring the feeling of Jake's hands on him at the same time. ''...it's okay...''

For a while, they remained like this, wrapped in each other's arms and listening to the sound of quiet breathing, echoed with relaxed heartbeat. Will stroked Jake's hair and as he did, he wondered if all the other brothers in the world were as close as they were. Eventually, he concluded that they probably weren't but he tried not to let that scare him too much because him and Jake had been by the other's side since they were very, very young and it had almost become habit to wake up in the same bed and cuddle warmly as the morning dawned around them. In their little world, there was nothing wrong with it and before the previous night, Jake had never seemed to have a problem with it either, allowing it to happen with open arms, so to speak. Will hadn't been sure what had gone on in the bar yet now he dwelled on it, he realised that he _had _indeed gone too far, certainly much further than what they had ever done before which never strayed beyond cuddles and hugs.

Though, even through the sleepiness of the sunny morning, Will became a little unnerved by the notion of 'what they had ever done before'. It sounded as if they were in a sexual relationship when in fact, they were just brothers, and no matter how much Will became intoxicated by Jake's soft fingers and warm body, he'd probably never accept that he did indeed have strange feelings for him. Will was usually the cynical one yet he imagined if he ever did sum up the courage to open his heart to him, he'd be frightened and his sensitivity would get the better of him. Everything would change after that, Will knew that almost for certain. They could never be the same brothers they were today.

Still, he couldn't tear himself away from Jake that morning, his embrace too warm and cosy. He was sure that, even though the sun was shining, it would be cold outside the bed and he didn't want to force himself into that world quite yet. The covers were thick for once and Jake's arms were calming, lulling him almost back to sleep and away from his worries. He wished they could stay there all day but there was another village nearby that needed their help and although they had thought that being involved in the situation with the Mirror Queen and the tower, they would have become better known over the world, it had not been that way. It was back to the old routine with the team (Angelika now also) and despite the instruments and tools being a little more realistic now, it still felt the same. Jake had tried to suggest they found a new way to live their lives yet after half a year trying and failing miserably, they had been forced to give up. They didn't have the money for travelling to search for more folk tales and although Jake had book after book full of them, nobody had seemed interested. He had attempted to put on a brave face but a few times, Will had heard him crying into his pillow at night, body shuddering with sobs. Will had vowed to him that their lives would get better, just like he had done so many times before.

Jake seemed a little happier now though, much to his relief. He was back to writing tales of magic and enchantment and Will was glad that his confidence hadn't been completely dashed, as he had previously worried. It was back to Inns and Alehouses, just like before, but recently, Angelika had offered that they come and stay at her house – which was the largest in Marbaden (by the standards of the quaint little village anyway). They had gladly accepted, as the Inns were – despite being hospitable – getting grottier and grottier and were spending their first night there that day after returning from the nearby village. Will had still insisted on Ale though. Angelika had laughed and agreed. Jake sometimes thought she was just like the other girls, fallen under Will's spell though he knew she spent time with him too.

A while passed by in the Inn that morning yet finally, Jake shuffled in Will's arms and began to back out, slowly pulling back the covers. He didn't particularly want to get up, especially as the cold breezes began to hit him, but the villagers would be waiting for them and so would the stagecoach, probably already by the Inn's front doors. Cavaldi would come for them soon if they weren't much quicker and the Italian man at this time of morning wasn't nice.

Will groaned as he moved out of bed and tried to bring the sheets back over his body, sleepily asking why Jake was getting up, though he knew the answer. Jake smiled and patted his cheek, drawing them back again. '' C'mon, Will...'' he murmured, lazily picking up some new clothes. '' You know why. It's those villagers in that village nearby...I can't remember the name. They want our help.''

'' Mmm...But it's cold.''

'' I know but...we'll be in the stagecoach soon. It'll be warmer in there and anyway, we're at Angelika's tonight, remember? It'll be nice there.''

'' Mmm, I guess...Wait a minute...'' And reluctantly, Will dragged himself from the warmth of the bed and into the colder world, grabbing the cases lying strewn over the floor. With no care whatsoever, he chucked some belongings inside and then stumbled over to the window, pulling open the curtains. Both brothers winced at the sudden sharp invasion of light. '' So...what do these villagers want this time?'' he asked, picking up some more clothes and noticing Jake was still fiddling nervously with his, as if he didn't want to change in front of him.

'' Oh, I – I don't know...'' he replied and Will saw his eyes dart away when he pulled off his shirt. '' The normal, I guess...''

'' Mmm...'' he said and then slowed down undressing a little, seeing that Jake still hadn't even undone any buttons yet. A blush had crept up his cheeks and although they had been naked in front of each other many a time before, he realised that they weren't going to get very far with two of them in the room. Sighing at Jake's shyness, he made up some excuse about going to the bathroom and then walked out but just before he exited completely, he noticed Jake glance back up at him and there was something in his eyes he had never seen before.

TBC


	3. Spectral Castle

Brothers In Arms

Chapter 3 - Spectral Castle 

As usual, the stagecoach ride to the selected and distressed village was long and tiring. They had set out early, like they normally did, but Jake could never get used to sitting in a stuffy carriage, following the Sun as it slowly rose into the blue sky. He wanted to sleep but every time the coach went over a bump in the winding road, he was jerked awake again and back into the cold world. He knew he'd had a long night's sleep at the Inn back in Marbaden yet the events of the evening before were still imprinted on his brain. Will had been flirty with him again – even though he hated to call it that – but this time, he had gone a bit too far with it. Jake usually accepted his touch however recently, something had happened in his mind and last night, it had flared up as Will's hand crept up his thigh. He hadn't meant to run out like that but he hadn't been able to help it. That was the only thing he could think of to get away.

He hadn't told Will what he'd done then, even though they had apologised earlier that morning. He'd seen how upset his brother was when he had entered the room – he hadn't really been sleeping then (how could he when he'd hurt him so?) – and didn't want to enhance that. He really cared about him and was very careful about what he said around him. Unlike Will. It was funny how different they could be at some points.

However, he knew what he'd done and he couldn't stop that. After running out of the Alehouse, slamming the heavy door behind him, he'd hurried through the village, trying to dodge the other villagers' eyes (especially Angelika's) and out onto the path that led to the forest. The forest where he and Will had defeated the Mirror Queen and caused her tower to collapse into ruins upon the leafy ground. The forest that held so many memories for him – mostly bad – but the same one that enthralled him so much.

He'd made no secret in the past of the fact that he adored the myths of magic and enchantment and was always writing and dreaming about that, creating worlds carved on imagination. Will had never seemed to take that seriously and even after the events in the forest, he still appeared to have reservations about those subjects. Jake knew he had always been the more rational one of the two, thinking of logical explanations for everything, but he had thought that after what had happened to them a year ago with the twelve girls and Mirror Queen's spell, he'd be more accepting.

Maybe he was a little yet Jake had never been under the impression that he had fully been all for his tales. He had to act that he believed in magic for the job they did but that was as close as he got and it was just for money anyway. Jake wished that one day, Will would truly like what he did. Not to believe in the topics but instead, believe in _him_.

Those were the type of thoughts that had been going around his head the night before when he had reached the path to the forest and continued down it, searching right out into the heavy, dark night. Without thinking specifically about what he was doing, he had arrived at the entrance to the forbidding woods and looked up at the trees, swaying in the slight breeze. The Inn suddenly had seemed so far away but for once, he wasn't scared. He had clutched his journal to his chest – he always had it with him – and without even glancing back at the village behind him, had stepped in, immediately reminded of the atmosphere he had got so used to when they had been searching for those twelve girls.

Yet he had blocked those memories from entering his mind as he ventured further inside, listening to the sound of the night drift all around him. It was lonesome in there and he knew there was nobody around – no company anymore – yet he wasn't frightened. At least not as frightened as he imagined he would have been. It was probably because he wasn't thinking of what he was doing. Maybe he should do that more often.

Under this impression, he continued in, following his own path and looking up at the dark trees and wondering what tales they could tell him. Not soon after, he was lost in his own thoughts about enchantment, inspired by the seemingly supernatural landscape around him. He immediately opened his journal, the pen already in his hand, yet just as he was about to write something, get down some of the swarming imaginings in his mind, he tripped on something and fell to the ground, luckily landing on a soft pile of leaves.

Disorientated, he instinctively reached for his glasses that had fallen off and then tried to lift himself back up on shaking arms, glad that nobody was around to see him. His cheeks slightly reddened, he gradually managed to stand up again yet as he finally got to his feet, brushing himself down, he almost fell back down because of what was now in front of him.

At the end of the large clearing he was standing in, its spires glinting in the soft moonlight, was a huge, beautiful castle, dominating everything around it and seeming to reach right up into the vaulted sky. Jake's breath was taken away as he saw it, every fantasy about magic suddenly coming to life right before his eyes. It was unlike anything he'd ever witnessed before – even more amazing than the Mirror Queen's tower, almost as if it had grown out of the forest floor itself. It seemed to be part of nature and surrounded by nature at the same time. Jake couldn't deny how fast his heart had started to beat.

He wanted to go in so much and discover what was inside but he couldn't seem to find a door amongst all that incredible architecture. There were windows and turrets and balconies but strangely, no form of entrance. Just like the tower...

Suddenly, a cold breeze whispered through the swaying trees and he shivered, wrapping his arms around himself. In front of him, the castle seemed to tremble too, its spires beginning to waver in the soft moonlight. He frowned, confused and a little disturbed, yet then, before he could deny anything, the image vanished just as abruptly as it had appeared to him.

Jake gasped aloud, more than surprised. One minute there had been a grand castle standing in front of him, looking beautifully real, and then the next minute it was gone, seemingly disappeared into nothingness. A sudden coldness gripped his heart and finally, for the first time since he had entered the forest, he was frightened. And he wanted to get out. Fast.

Never taking his eyes off the place where the castle was seconds ago, he started to back up, clutching his journal tighter than ever. The twigs and branches crunched under his feet and to his ears, they sounded much louder than they actually were, deafening in the stillness of the night. His heart began to pound faster and before he knew it, he was running as fast as he could through the woods, tripping and falling but always picking himself up and running. Running, running and running.

And even now, as he sat in the stagecoach bound for some sleepy little village, he was frightened as he was reminded of the night before. He had been alone and almost lost in some enchanted, dark forest in the middle of the night and had seen something that even he had trouble believing in. His heart gave a little skip as the image of the spectral castle crept into his mind again yet there was something at least that made him feel better.

And he was sitting asleep in the carriage with him.

TBC

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**Okay, I'm so sorry it took so long. I just didn't really know what to do in this chapter. I'm really sorry *.***

**I hope you like it though.**

**And thanks to everyone who's read and everyone who's reviewed. Much appreciated :)**


	4. Curiosity

Brothers In Arms

Chapter 4 - Curiosity

Jake sat in the little Inn back in Marbaden at the end of the day, cradling a mug of ale that Will had thrust at him and watching the merry people spin and dance in front of him, laughing and singing to the band in the corner of the room. The atmosphere seemed even jollier that night and although Jake was feeling happy, he didn't feel like getting drunk and joining them. For one, he knew how out of control he got when he was drunk but there was something else that evening. _Well, a few things._

For a start, he had been thinking about Will. All day, in fact. The little things that his brother had done to him over the years – all the times when he had embraced him in bed and acted so _flirty _with him (_was that the word?_) – had come back to him when they had been in the village earlier on and something was slowly dawning on him. After everything that had happened, he was surprised that he hadn't worked it out sooner but as Will said at points, he had his head in the cloud a lot of the time and was quite naive to a lot of situations. Jake knew that was true but he had never fully noticed it until now.

And for that reason, it had taken all this time for Jake to work out what was going on with Will. He didn't know if it was true and maybe he didn't want it to be – _yet maybe he did _– but..._No, he was being silly. _That thought had been going around Jake's head since this absurd idea had come to him. He knew he could have just been dreaming again. Imagining things that weren't there and exaggerating reality. That was what he did all the times when he was writing. And maybe he had just got too caught up in that. Now it had spilled over into what was actually happening and he believed it was the truth, when actually it was just his imagination.

_Or was it?_

Of course it was. Will would never...It was illegal, wasn't it? Or, at least, unethical. But then...Will wasn't exactly one to stick to rules and regulations. And nor was Jake, if he thought about it. After all, they made a living out of tricking other people into paying them. That wasn't exactly moral...

_So...could this be true?_

Jake was confused. He wished he could just know the truth but that would mean asking Will and if he was wrong...Will probably wouldn't take that very well. And Jake had enough bruises from him. This would have been worse too. It was such a...strange allegation. At points throughout the day, Jake couldn't believe he was thinking about it. They were _brothers _after all.

_Yes, maybe that was it. _Jake had just got Will's brotherly love towards him mixed up with _something else _and now he was just picking out all these tiny little details and making them into something that they most definitely weren't. That's what he did all of the time. Will was right. He always had his head in the clouds.

And anyway...Jake knew full well about Will's attention to women. He used to bring a new girl back up to the room what seemed like every night and Jake would usually be sickened listening to them talk and...other things. But...that brought even more questions to Jake's head.

Will _used _to bring girls up to the room – he still did but not near as frequently. And what of himself? If he was right about Will, what would he do? Would he accept it? Would he respond to it? And in what way?

Jake didn't know. He would just have to wait and see. That looked like the only way forward at the moment.

But, Will wasn't the only thing on his mind at that moment. He also couldn't stop thinking about something else. _The castle he had seen the night before._ Or, at least, that he thought he'd seen. It had frightened him at the time yet throughout the day, he had developed a certain fascination for it. Anything outside of reality made him curious – even if it did unnerve him at times – and this certainly was outside of reality. He had considered telling Will about it but he would have probably just thought he was making up stories again. Jake had thought that at times too – maybe he had just dreamt it – yet when he had looked at his journal, he had seen the grass stains that had formed when he had tripped over onto the ground just before seeing the castle appear. And plus, it had materialized in the forest where he and Will had spent so much time because of the Mirror Queen. He knew full well anything could happen in that forest.

So, naturally, he was both enchanted and curious. He wondered if it would emerge again that night and if it meant anything. Maybe he had just been a lost traveller discovering it by accident and it appeared every night. But then...surely it must have meant something? It wouldn't just appear for no reason. Nothing in Marbaden happened unless it was for a reason. Jake knew that very well after the incident with the twelve girls.

And he wanted to find out what this reason was. His interests were getting the better of him and if he didn't try and discover the castle's secrets (if it had any), he would be making up wild suggestions that wouldn't leave his mind.

_Which was exactly what he was doing with Will. _Or was he?

Jake decided to just leave that alone. The castle gave him something else to think about and for that, he was grateful yet as Will glanced around at him that night, his eyes bright with the drink he had too much of, he couldn't deny the flip his stomach performed. He tried looking away but before he could, Will was walking – or at least, trying to walk – over to him and perching down on the table, the mug in his hand overflowing. Will didn't know his limits at the best of times.

'' Jakey...'' he purred, drink thickening his voice. '' Jakey, why aren't you dancing?''

Jake glanced into his mug, uncomfortable when Will was this drunk. '' I don't really feel like it, Will,'' he replied quietly but Will just laughed.

'' Not even with me?'' he giggled and something lurched within Jake's stomach. He couldn't help wondering whether it was _just _the drink talking for Will or another thought in his mind. Someone had once told him that when a person drank too much, their true side came out. He wasn't sure if he believed that. Or if he _wanted _to believe that.

'' ...I'm fine, Will,'' he mumbled, hoping Will would return to his swaying women soon. '' I'd rather just sit here and write or something...''

'' Aww, Jakey, you're always writing. One day, you're gonna be famous for it...''

That was the first time Jake had ever heard that from Will. He would have been grateful and flattered on any other occasion but the way Will had said it – rather like how the besotted girls spoke to him – made him uneasy. He tried to convince himself that he was just exaggerating and blowing things out of proportion again yet when Will giggled and playfully stroked his hair, the discomfort returned.

'' But...'' he continued at last, just as the silence began to get a little awkward for Jake. '' ...if you really don't want to dance with me, then...that's okay...''

And Will laughed rather femininely again before suddenly throwing his arms around Jake. Jake immediately felt the breath get knocked out of him and he gasped, feeling almost crushed by the force Will had jumped at him. '' Will...'' he attempted to wheeze, yet Will wasn't listening. Some of his drink had spilled over onto the ragged material of the seat Jake was sitting on but instead of doing anything about it, he squeezed Jake tighter and even more overflowed. Jake doubted he needed any more drink though.

However, as Will continued to embrace him fondly, his mind gradually turned from his brother's drunkenness and to something else. He began to smile at the way he was being slowly rocked and when Will sank from the table and flopped into his lap, he found himself wrapping his arms around his waist, suddenly feeling warm and cared for. In his ear, he could hear Will muttering unintelligible things but Jake realised with another smile that it was better than hearing him say words that signified his intoxication. In fact, after a while, he was finding that he quite liked being in a situation like this. The fire was burning cosily in the corner of the room, the sound of the band was making him feel at home and Will was very warm, even if he did smell of pungent ale.

Although he was aware that they were being stared at now by the people who weren't drunk (_lucky there were only a few), _Jake felt his eyes begin to close. He cuddled into Will and relished how kind he was being when he began to mumble more nonsensical things into his ear, his voice lazy and slurred. But then, as a growing sense of tiredness began to come over Jake, something changed. Through the lovely, cosy mood, he felt Will bury his head into his neck and before he could stop him, his lips found his skin and fervent kisses were placed on it, getting more intimate every time.

Jake immediately froze. A playful giggle escaped Will and he tried to wrap his arms tighter around his brother but Jake refused. His eyes wide and frightened, he pulled away and stared back at Will who was still struggling to focus. He tried to say something – _anything _– yet his throat had gone dry and no words came out. His heart thumped and although he thought he'd never be able to stand on legs that suddenly felt so weak, he picked himself up out of Will's embrace and hurried out of the room, not once looking back.

He knew exactly where he was going.

TBC

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**Sorry, it's been a while but I just got caught up in a load of other stories! :) **

**Thanks for all the reviews/favourities/reads and so on so far...Always appreciated! ^^**

**Hope you like :)**


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